Rachele comes from the Italian Pavullo Nel Frignano, who joined the team in 2024 and thus provides the sprint group with a rider with years of experience in the professional peloton.
Her older sister inspired Rachele at a young age to take up cycling at the local club, where she learned the basics of the profession and fell in love with the sport: and after 21 years on two wheels, she still enjoys it to the fullest. .
She combined her first years on the bike with various sports, including swimming, karate, football and gymnastics. She is grateful for her parents, who gave her the opportunity to try everything out. After considering all sports, cycling turned out to be her first and only passion.
“Our job is hard, but it also gives you the opportunity to travel around the world, see new places and experience new cultures, which is fascinating. Even if you’re training at home, a leisurely five-hour drive can take you somewhere you’ve never been before, even if it’s only a two-hour drive from your home.”
At the end of 2023, Rachele was faced with a difficult decision: focus entirely on road cycling or continue fighting for a place in the Italian Olympic track team. Ultimately, the choice fell on the first option.
“That choice was difficult to make, but I am happy that I chose to go all-in for the road races. I think I have never really been at the top of track cycling, while in road cycling I can get the most out of myself and see where my upper limit lies.”
That does not mean that she has not benefited from her time in track cycling, on the contrary: she says she owes a lot to the indoor sport, in which she achieved her first “big results”.
“Cycling is good for body and mind and it is also a learning experience for your life. You learn from difficult moments, learn from living alone but also from living together; how to respect time and rules.”
Looking to the future, Rachele is excited to be part of the sprint group, where she will be the final lead-out for sprinter Charlotte Kool, something she is both excited and excited about.
Before Rachele joined the team, she admired the team for its results and solidarity, something that ultimately persuaded her to join Team dsm-firmenich PostNL: “If my teammate wins, then I win”.
Despite the fact that Rachele comes across as a somewhat harsh and direct person on the outside, she is quite a sensitive person on the inside. She hopes to grow on a personal level in the team and build a strong bond with her new teammates: “I hope to have found a place where I can be one hundred percent myself.”
Outside of cycling, Rachele says she is “very good at shopping” and loves fashionable clothes. She also has a passion for interior design, so there is no doubt that her home is tastefully decorated. Rachele also likes to catch up with friends or play a game of volleyball – when time can be found.